Alone, at last

When the news comes the world buckles.
Beneath him the ground flexes and tips him to his knees.
The vista of feet before him twists and melts.
His heart throbs an uneven beat, leaving him clinging to his chest.
Breath, the great traitor, flees leaving him gasping.
His lungs burn and his eyes slide shut onto a watery cushion.
Words are muttered above his head as hands reach out and are batted away before they touch.
The sound of feet clomping away jolts his eyes open.
Alone, at last, he takes a shaky breath.
“Thank you, oh god, thank you.”